Condenser and air-pump apparatus



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466,042

R. N. EHRHART CONDENSER AND AIR PUMP APPARATUS Filed Nov. 21, 1917 INVENTOR. I

@WWKZM QTTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

I UNHTEQ STATES A we e rarest caries.

RAYMOND N'EHRHART, or nnenwoon rARmrENNsY'LvA IA;.Assro os 'ro wnsr- INGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING 00., A CORPORATION orrENNsYLvA IA.

ooNnENsEa AND AIR-PUMP; APPARATUS.

' Application filerINovember 21, 1917. SerialNo. 203,263.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND N. EH1:- HART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the. county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Condenser and Air-Pump Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to condenser installations and has for an object to produce a new and improved arrangement of water connections to the air pump which withdraws air and other non-condensable gases and vapors from the condenser.

A further object is to produce a new and improved arrangement of air pump water connections, which is well adapted to be employed where the level of the water at the source of supply varies considerably, and which prevents variations in the level of the water from affecting the operation of the air pump.

A further object is to produce an air pump water connection arrangement in which the air pump is independent of variations in pressure or level of the water at the source of supply.

These and other objects are attained by means of the condenser and air pump arrangement embodying the features herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanying andforming a part hereof.

Hydraulic air pumps are frequently employed for exhausting condensers and are ordinarily arranged so as to discharge into the cold well or hot well of theplant in which they are employed. This arrangement is not practical in plants where the level of the water at the source of supply is variable and sometimes rises to a level above theair pump. My invention contemplates an arrangement of water connections in which the pump is independent of variations in level of the water at the source of supply. ,I'preferably arrange the pump so as to draw entrainingfwater from an iso: lated tank and to discharge it with the entrained air-and other fluids into the same tank. I also preferably provide means for automatically changing the water in the tank so that the temperature of the water drawn into the pump will not exceed a safe or determined temperature. a

-' The drawing is a diagrammatic sectional View of a condenser and air pump installas tion embodying the; features of my invention. 5 I i In the drawing I have illustrated asurface condenser 5 which is supplied with cooling water by means of a circulating pump 6.

As shown, the pump 6' draws water from a cold well 7, which communicates with a source of supply 8 by means of a tunnel 9. The pump 6 forces the water throughthe tubes of the condenser 5 in the usual-manner. A hydraulic air pump 10 is shown as connected to the condenser by means of a conduit 11 and is adapted towithd-raw air and non-condensab-le gases and vapors from the condenser. In some installations this pump would be connected up so as to discharge into the cold well 7 but as shown, the water level in the source of supply 8 is con siderably above the pump 10 and conse- 'quently this cannot be done without flooding the pump.

In-the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the air pump 10 is adapted to discharge into an isolated tank 12, which is placed at "any" convenient level and which is open to the atmosphere so as to permit the escape of the non-condensable gases and vapors withdrawn from the condenser. The suction line 13ofthe pump l0.also extends into the tank 12 and is adapted to deliver water to the pump to be employed in ontraining the fluids withdrawn from the condenser 5. I

It is necessary to supply makeup water to the tank 12 in order to make up for the water lost by evaporation, and to prevent a prohibitive rise of temperature of the water in the tank. This makeup water is preferably withdrawn from the discharge side of the circulating pump 6 by meansof a conduit '14 and, as shown, iszdelivered directly to the suction line 13 of the pump 10. A valve 15,

controlled by a float 15 is provided for controlling the delivery of makeup water so that a substantially constant level of water is. maintained in the tank 12.

.I have alsoshown a' pump 16 for withdrawing water from the tank 12 and for delivering it to any convenient place. As shown, it is connectedto theftanlrl2 by means of a conduit 17' and to the circulating water system of the condenser by means of a conduit 18. This arrangement'provides for the circulation of water through the tank, 12 atsuch a rate as to prevent the temperature: of'the water from rising above a safe or desirable temperature.

It is evident that the level of the water in the tank 12 is entirely independent of the level of the water in the source of supply 8 because the float controlled valve 15 maintains the level in the tank constant. Furthermore, the water in the tank 12 is preferably renewed at such a rate that the. temperature of the Water may be maintained at the most advantageousdegree. lViththe rangement shown, the installation has the further advantage that the water withdrawn from the circulating system foruse in the air pump 10. is returned again to. the. circu a: hydraulic air pump for exhausting the condenser, an isolated receptacle into which the air pump,v discharges, a conduit for delivering entrained liquid to the. air pump from the receptacle, meansfor delivering liquid from the water circulating system in.-

to the. conduit, and means for maintaining a. predetermined amount of liquid in the receptacle.

2; In a condenser installation, a condenser having a. cooling'water circulating system, a hydraulic. air pump for exhausting the condenser, a fluid receptacleinto which the air pump discharges, a conduit for delivering entrained liquid to the air pump from the receptacle, means for delivering liquid from the water circulating'system into the conduit, means for controlling the delivery of said liquid, so as-to maintain a predetermined amount of liquid in the receptacle, and means for separately Withdrawing liquid from theu-pper portion of the receptacle at such a. rate that the incoming liquid maintains the temperature of the contents of the receptacle below a predetermined temperature,

3. In a condenser installation, a condenser,

hydraulic air pump. for exhausting the condenser, means for clrculatlngi cooling water through the; condenser, an isolated tank into which t-he'air pump discharges a conduit for delivering entraining water from the" tank to the pump-,means for delivering waterfrom the" c1rculat1ng means into. the

conduit, and means; for regulating the. de-

livery of water. to: the conduit. so as to prevent the contents of the tank'from being overheated.

t. In a condenser installation, a condenser, a hydraulic air pump for exhausting the condenser, means for circulating. cooling water through the condenser, a tank into which the air pump discharges, a conduit for delivering entraining water from the tank to the pump, means for delivering water from the circulating means into the conduit, means for regulatingthe delivery of water throughv said meanszso asto. maintain a substantially con'stantlevel oil water in the upper portionof the tank, and. means tor withdrawing water from the..ta-nk..

5". In a condenser installation, apcondenser, a hydraulic. airpump, for exhausting: the condenser, means for circulating cooling water through the condenser, a. tank, into which the air pump discharges, a. conduit for delivering entraining watertrom: the tank to the pump, means. for delivering water from the. circulatingmea-nsa into the conduit, means-for regulating the: delivery of water through said means LSOfiSZ'tOi maintain. a substantially constant .levellof water in: the tank, and means for Withdrawing water from the tank and for delivering it 7 back to the circulating. means, 7

6. .The combination with a. condenser having cooling water circulating systemand a fluid actuated pump for exhausting the condenser, of an open tank receiving water under pressure from the; circulating system and receiving the. fluids-L discharged" by the said pump, means: for: maintaining the; fluid in the tank at a determined level, andmeans for withdrawing water from the; tank adjacent the surface thereof, whereby water at a maximum temperature-is removed;

7. In a condenser installation; a condenser having a cooling water" circulating-system,.a hydraulic air pump: for withdrawing air from the condenser, a tank into: which the air pump discharges, a pipe leading from the cooling water circulating system into the intake. of the pump for delivering entraini-ng water thereto and. an'overflow connect:- ing the upper portion of the. tank. with; the circulating system. I

8. In acondenser installation, a condenser, means including a pump for circulating wooling: fluid therethrough, a hydraulic pump for exhausting the condenser, a. receptacle to receive the pump discharge; and-Ito hold a supply of fluid forthe-pump, apipe. between the receptacle and: the cooling fluid circulating'means whereby fluid may: be; discharged from the upper portioniof. theereceptacle to the circu-ltrtingmeansga circulating pump in said pipe; atconneietionfbetween the; circulat ing means and the. receptacle for supplying fluid from the circulating-- means to; the receptacle. andmeans; for controlling the: passage; of: fluid; th rough; the: last; named? comltecan independently operated pump'in said pipe and a connection between the receptacle and the cooling system between the pump and the condenser adapted to supply fluid to the receptacle from the cooling system.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of No- Vember, 1917.

RAYMOND N. EHRI-IARTQ Witness v C. W. MCGHEE.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,466,042, granted Au st 28, 1923, upon the application of Raymond N. Ehrhart, of Edgewood Park, ennsylvania, for an improvement in Condenser and Air-Pump Apparatus, errors appear in 'the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 79, claim 4, strike out the Words the upper portion of, and line 80, before the Word tank insertthe Words uppr portion 0 f the; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of October, A. 1)., 1923.

[SEAL] 7 WM. A. KINNAN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

